


All this and more

by birthtwinss



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Dimension Travel, Fluff and Humor, Multiverse, Science Fiction, detective!kun, thief!ten
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-15 02:53:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28931304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/birthtwinss/pseuds/birthtwinss
Summary: Kun's been unrelentingly chasing Ten for a long time now, but maybe he doesn't know why anymore.
Relationships: Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten/Qian Kun
Comments: 10
Kudos: 46
Collections: Challenge #4 — Awaken The World





	All this and more

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Once again a big thank you to the mods for organizing this lovely round! (and the writers and readers as well!). 
> 
> This time I offer you my favorite ship dynamic: you´re the bane of my existence but you also make me the happiest.
> 
> ps1. I know nothing about scientific stuff but god I love to speculate  
> ps2. I just think statute of limitations sounds sexy  
> ps3. I also know nothing about law (I can recite from memory the miranda warning tho)
> 
> **unbetaed so please bear with me

The first thing Kun notices after landing on Earth 61 is the smell of salty water filling his nostrils as he puts his hands on his knees, gasping for air. 

The second thing he notices —despite the blockage inside his ears caused by the rapid change in air pressure during the slide— is the rippling laughter that comes to his ears clear like a ringing bell above the muted roar of the waves breaking on a beach not far away.

It’s infuriating. It’s infuriating that Ten seems immune to the effects of multiversal traveling, that he even seems to enjoy it, while Kun feels like spinning, completely off-balance, and tired out.

In the beginning, the existence of a multiverse was mere speculation. Then a scientific theory published in some journal with little to no basis and too many critics, dragged through the mud for years. 

Until the first person from another Earth showed up announcing what only a small group already knew, the existence of multiple universes as well as the possibility of multiversal traveling using a prototype of an enormous artifact, designed by the most competent engineers on Earth 27, which allowed them to travel just far enough that they to run into some of the alternate versions of themselves.

Kun would be able to tell in detail the rest of the story if only he had paid attention in History class, but things got less fun and more bureaucratic, and it didn't seem like something worthy of staying up. Diplomatic visits, the establishment of an organization that would aim to maintain peace among the other Earths, and the creation of new small and portable devices, sliders, that allowed multiversal traveling in a faster and more efficient way.

Like the one Ten stole.

It's infuriating the way Ten always ends up playing him like a fool. It’s infuriating the way Ten has managed to avoid being caught for years now, Kun always a step behind, never close enough, never clever enough to predict what Ten will do next.

But this time is different.

This time Ten is right in front of him, running playfully with light steps, a small figure engulfed in the dark, and Kun is closer than he has ever been, just a few meters away. He'll be damned if he lets Ten slip through his fingers.

Kun doesn't take his eyes off Ten as he forces himself to move and runs after him, ignoring the burning in his lungs. Before they reach the shore, Kun shortens the distance between them and lunges forward, grabbing Ten's wrist and closing his fingers around it firmly— the amount of force necessary to prevent Ten from escaping but not so much as to hurt him.

There's the slightest shock in Ten's eyes when Kun turns him around to face him, drawing him close, and it's enough for Kun to start laughing maniacally, feeling on top of the world, releasing every sensation he's bottled up over the years. Frustration. Annoyance. Exhaustion. Something else.

His laughter dies when he takes in the smirk on Ten's face.

“Never thought someone would be so happy to see me.” Ten says with a trace of smugness in his voice and directs his gaze to Kun’s hand still holding his own.

Kun clears his throat, scowling, but doesn’t let go. Instead, he takes out a pair of handcuffs from behind his back. “Do you always carry these with you?” Ten speaks again, wiggling his eyebrows, and Kun grits his teeth, trying his best to ignore him as he holds Ten's wrists together and cuffs his hands in front of him.

“Cchittaphon Leechaiyapornkul, born in Bangkok, Thailand, on Earth 2, you’re under arrest for theft of government property,” Kun says, voice thick with satisfaction, “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be used against—”

“I know my rights,” Ten interrupts Kun and raises his hands, clinking the handcuffs together, "But how do you know I'm the guy you're looking for? How do you know I'm this Cchittaphon Leechaiyapornkul from Earth 2? We're currently on Earth 61, you might as well have mistaken me for someone else."

Kun doesn't doubt for a second. If anything, the fact that he's trying to trick him, typical of him, proves Kun right. “I know this face,” He states, holding Ten’s stare, "I know your eyes and your smile the same way I know mine. I couldn’t mistake you for anyone else."

That much is true. In each of his visits to other Earths, Kun had encountered other versions of Ten, the one who lived with friends and two cats and a dog, the one who graduated from a prestigious art school, the one who was overworked by a large company. Kun’s heart wrenches when he thinks of the one who died in an accident.

None of them was the same as the one whose face is engraved on Kun's memory, but the one in front of him. None of them looked at Kun like that. 

Ten lets out a giggle. “Your words certainly flatter me.”

Kun shakes his head furiously as the words sink in. “You’re a simple thief.”

“Well, you got out of your way too much for a simple thief.” Ten emphasizes the last words, “Don’t you have actual work to do? It seems to me that you’ve got an incredible amount of free time. You know this is why people complain about the police, you guys don’t focus on what really matters. I bet you've got a ton of other things to take care of."

Kun looks down, thinking of the large number of files piling up on his desk, open investigations and forms to fill out, and the even larger amount of mails he has to read yet. There’s an ugly sensation tugging at his heartstrings and he holds up a hand, as if he could ward away the growing guilt.

He thinks of Doyoung, one of his colleagues, after he caught Kun at Ten's identification papers for the nth time.

"Don't you think you are a little obsessed with him?" Doyoung had asked, approaching Kun's desk, "Just ask him on a date."

"He's a criminal."

“A hot one," Doyoung sat on the desk, ogling at Ten's picture shamelessly. "That's more than you could get around here."

Kun rubbed his temple. “Don't you have a boyfriend already?”

"I also have eyes." Doyoung gave him a pointed look before walking away.

Kun has eyes too. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knows Ten is gorgeous. And, on a more conscious level, he knows he might have developed a tiny crush on the other. But this isn’t about it. 

“So you don’t deny the charges.” Kun bites his lip and shifts from side to side, "Great, I'll take you to the station and—"

Ten watches him amused. "I don't think so." 

"Excuse me?"

"Do you know what day is today?" Ten brushes a lock of hair out of his eyes awkwardly.

"No." Kun replies unsure.

"January 22nd, 2056." It means nothing to Kun so he waits for Ten to keep talking. "According to the statute of limitations, after a certain period of time has run out, 4 years in this case, the crime can no longer be prosecuted. The alleged act took place in December 2051, you do the maths."

Kun's brain buzzes and it takes him a moment to get a hold of himself. “That—that doesn't apply if the individual leaves the state or goes into hiding."

Ten lips curl upwards, clearly enjoying the situation, and nods as though he had been expecting that answer. "Except I didn't. Technically, I never left the state. You can check my passport, different Earths, the same state. And I always registered my entrances, that doesn't count as hiding, right?" 

Meaning, Ten is essentially free.

Kun stares at him dumbfoundedly, too many thoughts running through his mind because what's next then? The idea of parting ways doesn't sit well with him.

"So now you have two options." Kun is unable to think of anything else as Ten gets closer, until they're inches apart and he speaks again, voice barely above a whisper.

"Either you let me go and I promise you won't have to see me again,” He hesitates for a second and Kun leans in, "Or you can ask me out and we'll see what happens from there." 

Kun didn't have time to adjust his watch to the new time zone after landing, but judging by the few stars above them fading away, the sun will rise soon. As Ten said, he has two options, but it's actually just one. He looks with fondness at the small smile playing on Ten's lips, one that he would dare to describe as shy, and realizes he wouldn't mind seeing it all the time. 

Maybe it's all the other emotions Kun refused to accept until now and too many things happening at once that make him feel dizzy and his heart go into overdrive.

“Are you okay?” The smile on Ten's face is replaced with a worried expression that doesn't suit him.

“It’s nothing, my body doesn’t take well the slide.” 

“You’re getting old, uh.”

Kun throws him a dirty look. “We are a month apart.”

"Well, I didn't know." Ten fidgets on his spot and Kun realizes he hasn't given him an answer.

Kun brushes the imaginary dust off his pants and sighs. “I’d love to take you out.” He finally says and the smile he gets is priceless, another favorite. 

“Great.” 

“Great.” Kun echoes.

Ten inhales deeply. “But you still have to take off these.” He points at his wrists, “This is a police abuse and I could report it.”

“Noted,” Kun presses his fingerprint in the metal and unlocks the cuffs. “Anything else?”

“Yes,” Ten gives him a suggestive look, a blush dusting across his face, “Don’t throw them away, we may use them later.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you somehow managed to made until here, thanks a lot! This is me for now and, hopefully, I'll see you in the next round.


End file.
